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What day will i receive my tax refund

Frequently Asked Questions

When can I receive my 2015 tax refund calculation?

We are able to calculate these for you from late April 2015. This is so that your income details have been updated at the IRD and you have your full 12 months of income details. The IRD will then accept these into their system in early June and you can expect payouts of refund amounts from mid June 2015. We will keep you informed on the way through. You can apply and beat the rush from 1st April onwards.

What are the advantages of using Kiwi Tax Refund?

Our goal is to make the Tax Refund process quick, easy and risk free. Sure you could do this yourself but here are 7 reasons why other Kiwis use our system:

Simple process - sign up and apply for your tax refund in a few minutes; then sit back and let us do all the hard work while you wait for your tax refund.

Our services are very cheap - fees start at just $10 + GST. No tax refund, no fee!

Fast Turn Around - We will Process Your Tax Refund in 5 working days - Guaranteed*

Due to our knowledge and experience we can often get you a larger tax refund than you might be expecting.

Totally risk free - if you request your own Personal Tax Summary and owe money on your income tax, you are obligated to pay. If we do it for you, and there is income tax to pay, we will pay the income tax for you*

How can you access my information at IRD?

By filing an application with Kiwi Tax Refund you authorise us to be your Tax Agent. We can then look at the information held by IRD pertaining to your income tax. We use this information, plus the information we receive from you, to calculate whether or not you are owed a tax refund for any of the previous 5 tax years.

What is a Tax Agent?

A Tax Agent is any individual, company or partnership who is registered with the IRD for the purposes of filing tax returns or personal tax summaries, to IRD, on behalf of NZ taxpayers.

How long will it take to

We process your tax refund application within 4 - 5 working days. Any additional time will be due to Inland Revenue Department processing timeframes. There are some situations which can hold up this process but these will be dealt with by Kiwi Tax Refund.(For example: Each tax year closes on 31 March. Tax Refunds for that tax year are not available until mid/late June. In other words, tax refunds for the 2015 tax year will not be available until June 2015)

How will I receive my tax refund?

Any tax refund will be processed by Kiwi Tax Refund directly with the Inland Revenue Department and your tax refund will be posted by cheque or deposited directly into your bank account less our tax refund processing fee.

What do I need to provide to Kiwi Tax Refund?

The Kiwi Tax Refund process is simple and easy. It only takes a few minutes and requires you to fill out a simple form either online through our Online Tax Refund Application or at our Kiwi Tax Refund Office in Wellington .

Kiwi Tax Refund also requires your Inland Revenue Department number and other details such as any other income you may have derived in the last five years (e.g. interest or dividend income and tax paid on this, overseas income, rental income or self employed income, etc).

How much will it cost?

Everybody has different circumstances. Some people have more than one job, more than one child or make more donations. We charge a fee based on how much money you are owed in your tax refund. But we do not charge high fees, like some other tax refund companies do. We charge a flat rate based on the amount of the refund you receive - no tax refund, no fees*. All fees quoted on this site exclude GST. For more information refer to our tax refund fees

Can you claim my donations tax credit for me?

Yes. It is easier to complete all tax refunds together. From 1 April 2008 you can claim a tax credit much higher than the $630 previously allowed provided you have sufficient income to support your claim. Contact us for more details.

What if I owe the tax department money?

If you have previously contacted the Inland Revenue Department directly and now owe them money then you will have to pay it. We can check for you and if you have tax to pay in any of the past 5 years, we will not proceed without consulting with you first. If you do have tax to pay or IRD use a tax refund from one tax year to repay a debt in another tax year, we will not charge a fee.

What happens if I owe child support?

We are unable to help you through our tax refund division but will transfer your application to our accounting services division who may be able to help. Their fees are different to ours.

Are your fees tax deductible?

You betcha! Our tax refund fees are 100% tax deductible expenses. This means you can claim our tax refund processing fee as an expense against your income tax - which means an even bigger tax refund.

We have a family. Will we be owed a tax refund?

More than likely you will. It depends if the children are still dependent, under 19 years of age and still attending school. It also depends how many hours you and your husband/wife/partner are working.

I am in NZ on a working visa, could I be owed a tax refund?

Yes, in our experience almost 90% of working travellers are owed a tax refund. This normally occurs when a working traveller has paid tax but hasn't worked in NZ for an entire year.

What if I am a non-resident but have paid tax in NZ, can I apply for a Tax Refund?

Yes. If you have worked in NZ or have NZ investments and you have paid NZ tax but are currently a non-resident we can still help you. In some cases we may have to ask a few more questions and fill in some extra paper-work but we regularly secure tax refunds for clients who are non-resident for tax in NZ.

Will Kiwi Tax Refund be my Tax Agent forever?

No. Once your tax refund is completed, or if you are not due a tax refund, we will NOT process your following years refund unless you advise us too by filling out a new application form. Should you wish to delink from us there will be a link to request this at the bottom of your email. Be assured we will not process any new applications unless you request them to be processed. You can still remain linked to our agency and nothing will be processed unless you request it to be.

You may terminate the Tax Agency authorisation at any time by advising us in writing or by contacting IRD. Terminations are subject to the terms set out in our Standard Terms and Conditions

Can I contact the Inland Revenue Department directly?

Yes. Anyone can contact the Inland Revenue Department to discuss their own tax affairs.

BUT, remember - if you submit a tax refund request and it turns out you owe money to Inland Revenue then you will be obliged to pay it. This is why it is advisable to speak to an accountant or tax specialist, like Kiwi Tax Refund. Let us take care of your income tax refund and we guarantee that we will never send you an unexpected income tax bill - only a fat juicy tax refund*

What if my personal details change?

If you personal information changes in any way (e.g. name change, change of address etc) please contact us

immediately so we can update our records.

What does "No Refund No Fee" mean?

It means just that. If you do not receive a refund, by cheque or directly into your bank account, then we will NOT charge you a fee. If you need more clarification about your particular circumstances then please contact us

What if I am under 16 years of age?

If you are under 16 years old, we require a full birth certificate issued on or after 1 January 1998. These birth certificates can be obtained from the Department of Internal Affairs. We also require permission from a parent or guardian. This permission must be signed in writing, containing the name, address and contact telephone number of your parent or guardian. It must be accompanied by your parent or guardian's valid photo identification e.g. a scanned image of a drivers licence.

*Terms and Conditions Apply

Is My Information Secure?

Absolutely. That's super-important to us. Any information we get while working for you is subject to strict confidentiality requirements. We won't disclose that information to other parties without your express consent, except as required by law or to update your records with the IRD.

Why Do You Need My IRD Number?

Your IRD number is a unique number issued to you by the Inland Revenue Department so they can identify you. Your number will be an 8- or 9-digit number in the range of "10-000-000" to "999-999- 999". We need this number to become your tax agent, to check whether you're due a tax refund and to create your secure password-protected account.

If you don't know your IRD number, have a look around to see if you have any letters from the IRD or ask your boss or pay clerk. You can also ring the IRD.

Why Do You Need My Full Name and Date of Birth?

This is another form of security to help us confirm your identity and create your account.

Why Do You Need My Email Address and Phone Number?

We might need to get in touch so we can get a bit more information to help us determine whether you have a refund. We send regular notifications to your email address so please double-check you've given us the right details so we can keep the process as quick and painless as possible. If your contact details change, no worries, just log on to your account to update us so we can keep you in the loop.

Why Do You Need My Address Details?

This is just extra backup for those rare instances where people have a bad day and supplied us the wrong email and phone number.

Why Do You Need My Photo ID?

This is a requirement brought in by the IRD on 1 January 2010 to reduce the risk of fraud. We can't proceed with claiming your refund until we check either your driver licence, firearms licence or passport. If you don't have any of these forms of ID, give us a call and we'll give you the run-down on other options.

What type of photo ID is accepted:

The preferred form of photo ID is a valid New Zealand driver's licence. We also accept the following other forms of ID in combination with a completed Authority To Act form:

New Zealand passport

Overseas passport with New Zealand immigration visa / permit

New Zealand 18+ card

New Zealand Firearms licence

International Driver's Permit (issued by a member country of the UN Convention on Road Traffic)

New Zealand certificate of identity (issued by Department of Labour or Department of Internal Affairs)

"Linking" to Kiwi Tax Refund:

What does it mean when you are "linked" as my tax agent?

It means we have the right to access certain information about you from the IRD to verify and process your tax refund. Such information might include income earnings details, employer information, tax paid, etc.

I have received a letter from the IRD advising that Kiwi Tax Refund has become my tax agent, why?

I have received a letter from the IRD advising that Kiwi Tax Refund has become my tax agent, why?

This is the letter that the IRD issues to advise you that we have linked to your Inland Revenue number. This is a normal part of the process that is required for us to be able to access your information and release any refunds for you.

I have received a letter advising that a bank account has been added to my account, why?

The IRD has issued this letter advising that our client account has been added to your account at the IRD. This allows us to keep track of your refunds. Refunds are paid into the client account, we deduct our fee and then refund you the balance. Your refund will be paid out to you once our accounts department has processed it.

What if I already have a tax agent?

Kiwi Tax Refund will simply become your new tax agent if you choose to use our service. This will mean you will be de-linked from your previous tax agent.

Additional Tax Information

I have paid child care or donations. Can you include this information? Yes, we can include this information in your return. If you have not yet applied, simply fill in an application form and ensure you choose -yes- when asked if you have paid any donations. If you have already applied with us please send us your donation receipts using the contact us form. Please note this is processed separately to your income tax return, so you can still get a donation rebate if you aren-t due a tax refund.

I have received Dividends in a financial year. Do you need to know about these?

Please tell us if you have received more than $200.00 of dividend distributions within any one financial year. The dividends will be included in your tax return. If you have not yet applied, simply fill in an application form and ensure you choose -yes- when asked if you have received Dividends. If you have already applied with us please send us the details using the contact us form.

I have received income from Interest bearing deposits/investments. Do you need to know about these?

Please tell us if you have received more than $200.00 of interest within one financial year. The interest will be included in your tax return. If you have not yet applied, simply fill in an application form and ensure you choose -yes- when asked if you have received Interest. If you have already applied with us please send us the details using the contact us form.

I receive Maori Authority distributions. Do you need to know about these?

Please tell us if you have received more than $200.00 of Maori Authority Distributions in any one financial year. The distributions will be included in your tax return. If you have not yet applied, simply fill in an application form and ensure you choose -yes- when asked if you have received Maori Authority Distributions. If you have already applied with us please send us the details using the contact us form.

I am an undischarged bankrupt, can I still apply?

Yes – this will not affect your refund amount, however we are obligated to pay your refund to the official assignee who is managing your affairs while you are undischarged. We can only process refunds after the first year with the new IRD number and any prior to that cannot be processed so will generally not be paid out to an assignee.

I owe child support payments. Can I still get a tax refund?

Yes you can if your refund exceeds your child support debt. If not the IRD will usually apply the refund amount to your outstanding child support account. You can look at your tax refund as an easy way to reduce your child support debt if you are in this situation, so don-t be afraid to apply.

Why has my refund gone to arrears?

The Inland Revenue Department automatically transfers any refunds to accounts with money owing to previous years. You can contact the IRD if you have further queries regarding the arrears.